


It's Only Love Underneath This Disguise

by T66



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pet Store, Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, Cats, Fluff, M/M, Miscommunication, No Smut, Pet Store, and cheese chases, and turbo scratchers, cat lasers, idk what to tag?, let me know what else to tag thanks, literally no angst, niall is a plot device?, read to understand :), so unlike me wow, sorry - Freeform, theyre actually so awkward its so cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-04-20
Packaged: 2018-10-21 00:16:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10673721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/T66/pseuds/T66
Summary: “You’re telling me, that I pretended to work at a pet shop to have an excuse to see you every week and talk to you. And you pretended to own a cat to have an excuse to seemeevery week?”or alternatively, Louis doesn't own a cat and Harry doesn't work at a pet shop, and yet both things seem to be true at first.





	It's Only Love Underneath This Disguise

**Author's Note:**

> So... this is my first fic? Hope you enjoy :) Please comment what you think!
> 
> Title taken from Collide by James Bay
> 
> IMPORTANT:  
> I innocently looked up [ cat lasers ](http://www.veggiesomething.com/images/blog/lasercat3.gif) and I did not get what I was expecting or looking for, but I was not disappointed.
> 
> Lastly, I want to thank one of my best friends for encouraging me to write this and giving me the confidence to actually post it. Thank you so much for being patient with me and letting me rant to you about my faves. You're amazing <3

"Fuck. Fuck fuck _fuck."_

Harry turns away from checking out the different fish food brands to see who just entered Dingo’s Pet Shop from the rain outside and⸺   _wow_.

"Fuck."

The man comes through the doorway and runs a hand through his soaking wet hair, getting water all over the entrance to the store. Mystery Man is wearing a white sweater underneath his jacket and tight black jeans that make his legs look amazing. Harry catches himself staring and quickly turns back to the fish food, trying for a second time to pick the best brand. He looks around the store but still can not find anybody who works there that could help him, only the bored teenage boy on his phone behind the counter.

Harry sighs. _I guess I'll just have to pick a brand out myself._

He listens as the man walks further into the store, still upset about the rain and cursing under his breath, and stands close to where Harry is. He stops near the cat food and rubs his hands together, seemingly trying to warm up. He's close enough to Harry, who is by the fish food, that he feels as though he should try and make polite conversation.

"You know, Meow Mix isn't actually the best type of cat food, despite the commercials."

Mystery Man stares at Harry, his head tilted slightly, and _oh god, what just came out of my mouth?_ Harry feels like he at least has to explain himself to this beautiful stranger.

"They're just usually very inconsistent and tend to either make your cat hungry or overweight. Plus, they might make your cat's excretion stink."

 _What the fuck?_ Mystery Man just continues to stare at Harry, and he seems a little confused. _Already made a fool of myself,_ Harry decides, _might as well go all the way._

"I'd go with Wellness if I were you, it's really the better choice for a cat food."

There, Harry is done with his embarrassing comments and can now go back to buying his fish food and then proceed to throw himself off a cliff.

Mystery Man stares a moment longer before jolting slightly. "Wow, thanks for helping me out. I... wasn't sure which cat food brand to buy?"

He seems a little unsure, before fixing his expression and grabbing a few cans of Turkey and Salmon Pate Wellness off the shelf.

“I'm Louis." Finally, a name to replace Mystery Man. "You were a big help, I'll be sure to tell the counter."

And, what? Why would he do that?

"Uhh, Harry. And that's not necessary, I was glad to help."

Mystery Man, _Louis,_ gives him a small smile and turns to the counter with his cat food, looking back every few steps.

Harry waits until Louis leaves the shop, waving one last time, before going up to the counter to pay for a random fish food brand he picks out. Finally, it hits him.

_Oh god. He's hot. And he thinks I work here._

This is fine. This will be okay.

(This is not good. Not good at all.)

* * *

 

"You have to go back!"

Harry turns towards Niall, who is holding a pizza slice with one hand and a burger with the other. How is that even possible?

"But what if Louis goes back too? I can't face him again!"

"The worst that could happen is he asks your opinion on, like, _dog_ food, which you know nothing about. You'll try to fake your way through it but you'll fail, he'll find out you don't actually work at the pet store, and you'll never get to sleep with him."

Harry stares at Niall. Is this his way of trying to make him feel better?

“Okay fine, but if you don't go back that means your goldfish will die and I will win our bet. Do you really want that?"

Niall has a point there. Harry really doesn't want to lose this bet, which means he has to keep the fish alive, which means he has to buy more food, which means he has to go back to the pet store. Where Louis might be. _Shit._

On his way there, Harry tries to come up with different ways to break the news to Louis that he doesn't actually work at the pet store and no, he doesn't know the best dog food brand. To calm himself down he reassures himself that Louis might not even be there. And who’s to say he even owns a dog that needs a new food brand? He’ll be fine.

Before he knows it, Harry makes it to the store and walks inside. A quick glance around the store tells him that Louis is not there. Good, he has time to come up with what to say. In the meantime, fish food.

After a few minutes of browsing, Harry hears a small 'excuse me' from behind him and turns around.

Louis. In a beanie. Oh god.

"Hi, Louis! Do you need help again?"

Wait no, that's not the plan. Stop it.

"Need help picking out a cat toy maybe?"

Why can't Harry make himself stop talking? He needs to tell Louis he doesn't actually work here, not make it seem like he does even more. This is not going well.

Louis looks unsure for a second before smiling. "Yes actually, that would be a big help. I do, uh, need a new cat toy. Thank you."

Harry quickly looks around the store and spots the toys nearby, leading Louis over there. He tries to come up with a way to get himself out of this before he makes it even worse.

Louis runs his hand over a few toys before picking up a rubber mouse. "How about this?"

Harry instead picks up a robotic mouse. _If I'm  going to pretend to work in this store, I might as well do a damn good job at it._

"I think this might be better quality, and it will probably last longer if your cat likes to scratch at it." Harry waits for Louis to decide, watching as he glances at the toy, then back at Harry, before biting his lip.

"Yeah, that sounds right. I'll get this one then." He takes the toy from Harry, walking with him to the counter.

"So... how old are you?" Harry asks Louis, trying to learn more about the man before they reach the counter and he has to run away before he is found out.

"I'm twenty-five, you?"

"Twenty-three." What else can he say? He desperately wants to keep this conversation going, but he has no clue what to say.

Louis hums. "Well, thank you for the help with the toy. You, uh, you were a lot of help."

Oh no, don't end the conversation here. "Yeah, of course. It's my job isn't it?"

Why did he say that? Why does he insist on digging himself deeper and deeper into this hole?

They both laugh awkwardly, and Harry decides to put himself out of his misery. He points to the other side of the store and shrugs. "I better go organize those shelves. I'll see you."

Louis nods and says bye before paying for his toy mouse and leaving the store.

Harry hangs his head for a minute in self-pity, buys his fish food, and heads home. All he can hope for is that Niall will be kind to him and allow him to wallow in his misery with company.

(Who is he kidding. Niall is going to love this.)

* * *

 

For the next few weeks, every Saturday Harry goes to the pet store and helps Louis pick out something new for his cat. There's lasers, rubber toys, a fishing pole, and a bunch of random cat accessories that for some reason, Harry is convincing Louis he should buy for his cat. And when Louis leaves, Harry buys his fish food and goes home to cry to Niall.

Niall, of course, is no help. He only keeps reminding Harry that this is all his fault and could have been avoided if he had only told the truth in the beginning.

Niall, of course, is right. But still, no help.

"What can I do Niall? I've been helping him with his cat for weeks! There's no way I can ever tell him the truth now, he'll hate me."

Niall is silently judging Harry, he can just tell. "You're right Harry. You can never tell him you don't actually work at the pet shop. He’ll hate you forever for forcing him to buy overpriced cat food. It’s not like he actually needed to buy those things since he owns a cat and maybe, I don't know, needs to feed it?”

Okay, so Niall might be right. It’s not like what he did was completely unforgivable. He can fix this.

_I just have to tell Louis, ‘Hey, funny story. Turns out I don't actually work at the pet store? But don't worry, I did actually give you good advice for your cat needs. I used to own a cat of my own, and I take care of my sister’s cat all the time.’_

Harry repeats it like a mantra. He’s not completely unforgivable. He can fix this.

If only he can actually bring himself to tell Louis the truth and then maybe he can finally ask him out.

He can fix this.

(He’s doomed.)

* * *

 

Harry is almost caught on a Wednesday.

He’s not in the store for it, but Louis tells him what happened on Saturday and yeah, Harry was almost caught.

“Hey, Harry! I wish you'd have told me you only work Saturdays.”

And, what?

“What do you mean Louis?”

Harry is browsing the cat wall with Louis, looking for a good accessory to buy for his cat. But what Louis said makes him nervous. How would Louis know that Harry is only in the store on Saturdays.

“I came in on Wednesday, had a day off from teaching because the school canceled, but you weren't here. Asked the kid behind the counter, he told me you’re only in the stores on Saturdays, and not for very long usually.”

Louis is a teacher? Of course he is. He’d make a perfect teacher. But what⸺  oh shit.

“Oh ya, I, uh, I only come in on Saturdays for a few hours. It's just to… just to make some extra cash.” Harry fakes a chuckle, giving Louis a smile, but he's nervous. Will he finally be caught?

“Oh, that's cool! I didn't even buy anything on Wednesday because nobody was around to pick something out, so I decided to come in today when I knew you'd be here.”

Harry laughs, not really sure what to respond to that. At least he hasn’t been caught in his lie. Yet.

“So, what do you recommend for me today?”

He was almost caught this week. He’ll have to tell Louis the truth soon.

(But a few more weeks wouldn’t hurt, right?)

* * *

 

Harry’s fish is dead.

And yet it is a Saturday. So just like every other Saturday since he and Niall made the bet, Harry is in the pet store buying fish food. Except that this time, he’s buying it for a dead fish.

How did it come to this?

Harry is standing in a pet store buying food for a fish he flushed down the toilet two nights ago so he could keep up his facade of working in the pet store to hot Louis, all in the hope that he may one day build up his courage to tell Louis the truth and ask him out.

Niall told him to just go into the store, help Louis buy something for his cat, and then leave without buying anything. But no, Harry was raised right and Harry is not rude, so he will not leave the store without buying something. And no matter how much Niall begs or bribes

Harry is not buying a new pet for their tiny two bedroom flat. Not even a fish. He’s had enough of those to last a lifetime.

So here Harry is, trying to find the cheapest fish food brand on the shelf, waiting for Louis to come in the store. Glancing at his watch, Harry can see he's already been in the store for fifteen minutes, and Louis is later than he normally is.

Harry is lucky nobody seems to actually work in this store except for the teenager behind the till, or else he would have been caught long ago. If not for pretending to work there just to chat up a hot costumer, then definitely for standing around the fish food for sometimes up to a half hour and then only buying one bag.

It's another five minutes before the bell goes off and Louis walks in. _Finally._

“Hey. Harry. How are you today?” Louis looks beautiful today as always. Tight jeans, t-shirt, a beanie with his fringe sticking out.

Right. He asked him a question. “Uhh, good Louis. How’re you? What are you looking for today?”

God, that smile. “I’m feeling pretty good Harry. And... I'm not really sure what I want, to be honest, why don't you pick something out today.”

Harry quickly looks over the wall of cat toys and accessories, trying to pick out something good, and something catches his eye.

“A… Cheese Chase? What's this?” Louis’s face morphs into a confused expression, holding the package for the toy. It's not very surprising that Louis is unfamiliar with the toy, since it isn't a very well-known one, even for cat owners like Louis.

“It’s actually a pretty awesome toy. My sister has one of these for her cat, Diamond. It has a lot on it, perfect for keeping your cat’s attention for a long time.” Harry smiles at Louis, waiting for him to decide. “It’s also not too expensive, so I’d say it's worth it. But it's your choice, obviously.”

Louis considers it for another moment, biting his nail, before nodding. “Alright, I’ll get it. But on one condition.”

Harry waits, wondering what the condition could be. Oh no, what if he wants him to ring up the toy himself? Or he wants to talk to Harry’s nonexistent manager? What if⸺

“Go out to coffee with me today?”

And wait what?

What?

“Uhh… like, a date?” Oh god, why did he ask that. _Louis probably asked me to coffee as a friend and now I’ve ruined it all, haven't I?_

“Yeah, as a date. If… that's okay?” Now Louis looks nervous for the first time that day and Harry doesn't like that.

Harry gives Louis a big smile. “That would be perfect actually. I’d love to get coffee with you today.”

“Great! Wow, okay. So, when does your shift end? Do you get lunch?” Oh right, Louis still thinks that Harry works here. Although… now that Louis took the first step and asked Harry out, maybe Harry doesn't have to tell him the truth anymore? Except, no, he still has to tell Louis the truth if he actually wants this to go anywhere. And he does want this to go somewhere. He really, really does.

Harry thinks for a minute and then, “I actually have lunch in twenty minutes. I can meet you at Little Rock Cafe around the corner in twenty-five?” That gives Harry enough time to wait for Louis to leave, buy the food for his dead fish, stash it in his apartment a block away, and arrive at the cafe just in time.

Louis and he finalize the details and then say their goodbyes.

And Harry ignores that little voice in his head, that incessant voice, that tells him that this is a horrible idea.

This is a _great_ idea.

(The voice is right. This is terrible idea)

* * *

 

The coffee date starts out a little awkward. Harry and Louis don’t really know each other that well, shown by the awkward conversation they make about the tea, the coffee shop, and their personal lives.

Harry learns that Louis is a teacher for kindergarten kids, lives a few blocks away from Harry, has a best friend who’s an artist, and has a big family of two step-dads (Louis didn’t bring up his real father and Harry didn’t ask), one mom, and six siblings. In turn, Harry tells Louis that he works in his sister’s bakery in London when he’s not working at the pet shop, _his_ best friend is a sports writer for an online paper, and his family is comparatively smaller than Louis’s; his dad, his mom and stepdad, and his older sister, Gemma.

After the first twenty-five minutes of polite conversation, their date improves greatly. They start making jokes and teasing each other, they play a few rounds of twenty questions, and they learn much more personal details about each other than just what they do for a living.

Louis never wears socks with his shoes, even in the winter. But at home, he loves to walk about with brightly colored socks covering his feat. He is twenty-five years old and lives alone, yet he has still never learned to do his own washing. And he sleeps diagonally across his bed at night if nobody else is in the bed with him. Harry learns a lot about the cute, wet boy he first met in the pet store that rainy day.

The date is almost perfect. _Almost._ There’s still the fact that Harry is lying to Louis. But, that’s not too important, right?

(It’s important.)

* * *

 

A couple weeks go by, and Harry is still buying food for his dead fish.

But at least he is still keeping his secret. He and Louis go out on dates, hang out at Harry’s flat when Niall is out, and text each other all the time. And they still see each other every Saturday in the pet shop that Harry pretends to work at. Harry hasn't been to Louis’s flat yet, but that's understandable. They have only been dating for less than a month.

Somewhere in between date number three (movies, the new Fast and Furious film) and date number four (pizza place, greasy yet delicious), they go from being ‘friends who go on dates and sometimes kiss’ to ‘boyfriends who are scarily codependent on each other’. It’s kind of nice.

But Harry knows, as Niall keeps reminding him, that this isn't going to end well. He can't keep his secret for much longer. Sooner or later it's going to come out, and, as Niall keeps reminding him, wouldn't he rather it be him who tells Louis the truth, instead of having him find out from someone else? _I’ll tell him soon,_ he promises, _I will._

He just has to find the right moment.

And yes, he tells Niall, of course he knows when that right moment will be.

(He really doesn't.)

* * *

 

Harry assumes he’s lucky, in some way. At least he didn’t have to bring up the courage to tell Louis on his own; he found out without Harry’s help at all, really. If only it had, well, been on his own terms. That would have been nice.

It’s a Saturday, of course. And it’s in the store, of course. When is it not a Saturday in the pet store when it comes to Louis?

Harry is standing in the pet food aisle, trying to find that cheap fish food he found two weeks ago after the disastrous death of his fish occurred, and more importantly after he lost his bet to Niall. That’s when he stopped having to buy the good quality stuff. When you’re buying food for a dead fish, cheap is the way to go.

He hears the bell go off, but is too busy moving a few bags around to look. _Where is that cheap bag? I really hope they didn’t stop selling it in the past week._

He moves down the aisle, looking behind cans and jars, even starts looking in the dog food section. He is going to find that cheap fish food brand. No way is he buying expensive food for a dead animal. He would never hear the end of it from Niall.

He turns around, wondering what Louis is up to without him. He watches as Louis picks up two packages off the shelf, looking very unsure of himself. Oh well, he’ll continue looking for the food after Louis is gone. “Need some help over there?”

He looks over at Harry with a smile. “I was going to ask, but you seemed busy organizing those shelves. Although,” Louis takes a look at the food shelves behind Harry and laughs, “it looks like it needs a bit more organizing, to be honest.”

Harry turns around and, oh. While looking for the food he wanted, he seemed to have messed up the shelves. Louis is right, he really should organize those shelves before he leaves, it’s the polite thing to do.

“I can do that after. What are you looking at?” Harry looks down at Louis’s hands, which are holding a blue and a mulberry Turbo Scratcher as if he can’t decide which one to take. “Need some help deciding which color to take? I personally love the mulberry, but I have a feeling you’re more of a blue kind of guy. Of course, it all really depends on what your cat wants I guess.”

Louis stares at Harry for a moment before chuckling and patting his arm. “You’re a cute one, Harry Styles.”

He leans in to kiss Harry, and that is when the unpleasant occurs.

_Crack_

Oh shit.

They lean backward and, yep. The blue and mulberry Turbo Scratchers have been crushed between them. That’s not good at all.

“Uh oh. Let me guess: You break it, you buy it?” Louis chuckles, obviously trying to diffuse the situation.

And of course, this is when the boy behind the till speaks up for the first time in three months. “Did something break? Cause, you have to buy it if you broke it. It’s the rule.”

Louis giggles. Fucking _giggles_. Who even is Louis and why has Harry only met him now and not years ago? He seriously might love this man. But first, more pressing matters at hand.

“We should probably go up front so he can ring these up for me. Guess I’m going home with two Turbo Scratchers tonight, huh?” Louis laughs a little harder than normal at that. There must be something especially funny about going home with two Turbo Scratchers, but Harry is not really sure what it is. What Harry is sure of, however, is that he is about to be found out, and he is freaking out inside.

 _What do I do? What_ can _I do?_

“Hey there lad! Sorry about that. Me and Harry kinda crushed these with our bodies.” Louis tells the clearly uninterested boy.

He just stares at Louis as he scans the toys and tells Louis his price.

“Think I could get an employee discount? For dating your coworker, yeah?” Louis is clearly joking, trying to make the situation lighter as he hands over his credit card, but still. _Shit_.

“Mate, I work here alone. I don’t have shit clue who he is or what you’re talking about. Now, will you just pay for the toys so I can get back to my game?”

Louis looks confused but doesn’t say anything as he takes back the credit card and the bag.

He gives Harry a look and⸺ _Shit. Caught._

They both walk out the store together, Louis not bothering to ask Harry about his shift. The secret is out, the gig is up. Harry is sure that Louis is going to break up with him now. Harry hears him laughing and thinks, _Yup, it’s over, he’s about to_ ⸺  Wait. Laughing?

Harry turns to Louis curiously and is utterly surprised by what he sees. Louis is not only laughing, he’s full on cracking up⸺  head thrown back, shoulders shaking, hand near his mouth to try to smother the loud cackles coming out of his mouth.

And, that’s not right. Why would Louis be _laughing?_ He just found out that Harry has been lying to him, for months. He’s been getting Louis to buy food and toys and accessories for his cat, and he doesn’t even work at the store. For all Louis knows, he’s clueless about cats and has been bullshitting his way through the entire thing. So, why is he _laughing?_

It takes Louis a moment to calm down. “So, you don’t really work at the pet store, do you?”

He says it so casually as if he was talking about the weather or the temperature of his tea. Not, say, his boyfriend lying to him since the day they met.

Harry nods subtly, not really sure what to say. Should he apologize? Would an apology even help? Thankfully, Louis speaks up again before he has to respond.

“Thank fuck, I thought I’d have to actually buy myself a cat to keep this charade going.” And⸺  what? Louis must see the confused look on Harry’s face because he continues. “Harry, I don’t own a cat. I have never owned a cat. To tell you the truth, I don’t really like cats. I’m much more of a dog person.”

Okay, now Harry is really confused. Louis doesn’t own a cat? Then why would he come into the store every Saturday and buy something new for⸺  oh. _Oh._ Louis asked for Harry that Wednesday he came to the store, and then proceeded to only come every Saturday when he knew Harry would be “working”. Now Harry is starting to get it.

“You’re telling me, that I pretended to work at a pet shop to have an excuse to see you every week and talk to you. And you pretended to own a cat to have an excuse to see _me_ every week?” Louis and Harry stare at each other for a few seconds, and then they both catch on to what’s been happening the past few months.

And they start laughing.

“Wanna come back to my place?” Now that Harry knows the truth about Louis’s nonexistent cat, they’re finally able to hang out at his flat too, aren’t they?

Harry pretends to think about it for a minute before grinning. “Yeah, sure. I’ve always wanted to meet your cat.”

Louis fakes a glare in Harry’s direction and begins to walk, not waiting for Harry to catch up.

“Wait, seriously! What’s it’s name, even?”

(Louis shoves Harry. “You pretended to be an employee at a pet shop. Shut up.”)

* * *

 

Harry and Louis are lying on the couch in Louis’s flat, Louis sideways between the back of the couch and Harry, who somehow got to lay on his back and take up all the room. They're not talking, just lying there together and enjoying each other’s company.

Louis looks around at all of the cat stuff in his living room. The Wellness cat food, the robotic mouse toy, a few lasers and rubber toys, a fishing pole, the Petstages Cheese Chaser, and the two broken Turbo Scratcher, all bought for his fake cat at Dingo’s Pet Shop, and all because of his crush on Harry Styles.

He sighs. "What am I going to do with all of this cat shit?"

"Well…”

Louis turns towards Harry, wondering what he's about to say.

“We could always buy a cat?"

Louis laughs, putting his face in Harry’s shoulder. "Shut up."

"Seriously! Maybe a cute little white one? Ooh! How about a giant orange fluffy one?"

Louis keeps trying to shut Harry up, putting his hand over his mouth, but Harry just continues on discussing which cat they should buy.

"Maybe even more than one! I mean, you sure did buy a lot of cat stuff, I'm sure there's enough for two."

"You're a horrible person. You're the one who picked all this stuff out for me!" Louis exclaims. “Fuck off.”

Harry laughs, finally giving in, and kisses Louis.

He'll bring up the cat another day.

**Author's Note:**

> Spoiler: They get the giant orange fluffy cat. Obviously.
> 
> Let me know what you think? Please be honest but kind, comments are appreciated!  
> Thank you :)


End file.
